DIY Budget Travel to South Korea Day 1 - Safe Landing at Incheon

July 10, 2024

Mabuhay!

This is a photo and video journal of Day 1 of our DIY budget travel to the magnificent country of South Korea, featuring our safe landing at Incheon International Airport.

Departure at NAIA International Airport
The rain continues to pour as our driver drops us off at the departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 around 6 am. Our hearts are filled with a childlike excitement whenever we head for the unknown.

The bust statue of Ninoy Aquino, considered a Filipino hero.

This was our first trip outside the Philippines since the pandemic, and we were so excited about traveling that we forgot to log our overseas trip in the government’s online app. At immigration, the officer pointed us to a sign reminding travelers to register, and it took us about 30 minutes to complete the process—causing a bit of a delay in the immigration lane.

Aboard Airasia

While enjoying our smooth flight, my wife and I filled up a visitor's entry card. 

Safe Landing at Incheon International Airport

You immediately get a sense of a country’s character the moment you step into its airport. Incheon International Airport is a stunning example—designed with abundant natural lighting, wide and spacious hallways that give passengers a sense of freedom, and corners that seem made for photo enthusiasts like us.

Incheon International Airport
Major design architects: Curtis W. Fentress / Fentress Architects (lead designer of Terminal 1, with Heerim Architects and Gensler as major collaborators/consultants).

Major construction contractors were large Korean construction houses (Samsung C&T, Daewoo E&C, Yooshin, Hyundai E&C and others) working in consortia on the various packages.

The airport was built on reclaimed land, constructed in multi-phases (Phase 1: Nov 1992 → opened 29 Mar 2001 — ~8 years, testing added a few months), and Phase-by-phase costs for Phase 1 are reported as KRW 5.6323 trillion (commonly reported in early sources as roughly US$4–8 billion depending on exchange rates and what phases are included).

Filipinos are warmly welcomed in South Korea, where many of our fellow countrymen work and build meaningful lives. At the same time, many Koreans love visiting the Philippines for their summer vacations, while others come to study English. The two nations share a long history of friendship and cooperation—a bond that continues to be valued and cherished in modern times.

This is a free train ride for the passengers to get them to the arrival area.

Train Ride to Seoul

Another exciting part of traveling in Korea is the convenience of its public transportation system. Trains and buses are the most popular choices, offering reliable service and wide coverage. What’s even better is the variety of routes and options available, making it easy to reach the same destination in different ways.

From Incheon Airport to our destination in Seoul at Sinseol-dong Station, it's around 2 2-hour train ride. 

Once you buy a train ticket, the ticket vending machine will automatically charge you a ticket deposit. You can get a refund from the nearest ticket vending machine at the train station where you exit.

This new photo shows another KORAIL subway display inside the train on Line 1 (Blue Line) heading toward Soyosan.

Details on the screen:

• Current station: Dongdaemun (동대문, station 128)

• Previous station: Jongno 5(o)-ga (129)

• Next stations:

  • Dongmyo (127)

  • Sinseol-dong (126)

• Notice: “The door is on your Left” (내리실 문은 왼쪽입니다).

This is a perfect example of how tourist-friendly Seoul’s subway system is—screens clearly show station names in Korean, English, and romanization, plus numbered station codes for easy navigation.

Checking In at Dongdaemun Guesthouse

A simple yet cozy accommodation.

Our dinner includes Korean noodles, pre-cooked rice, and coffee.

There is a kitchen where the guests can cook their meals and not rely on just eating at a restaurant.

A variety of Korean noodles to choose from at a corner grocery store near our accommodation.

Seoul is an impressively tidy city. The discipline of Koreans in taking care of their public facilities—whether at bus stops, toilets, sidewalks, or terminals—is truly remarkable. Everything is kept in order, reflecting a strong sense of respect for shared spaces. Although the weather was a bit damp, we still managed to enjoy a short stroll around the neighborhood, soaking in the clean and well-kept surroundings.

Koren Won

1 Korean Won is equal to 0.041Philippine Peso

The banknotes in the picture feature two prominent historical figures from Korea:

₩10,000 note (green) – King Sejong the Great (세종대왕)

• Name: King Sejong (reigned 1418–1450)

• Description: The fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, he is best known for creating Hangul, the Korean alphabet, making literacy more accessible. He is celebrated as one of Korea’s greatest rulers for promoting science, technology, culture, and fair governance.

₩1,000 note (blue) – Yi Hwang (이황)

• Name: Yi Hwang (1501–1570)

• Description: A renowned Confucian scholar of the Joseon period, pen name Toegye. He was a leading figure in Korean Neo-Confucianism, influencing education and philosophy in Korea for centuries. His face appears on the ₩1,000 note to honor his intellectual and moral contributions.

The bird on the ₩500 Korean coin is the Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis), known in Korean as 두루미 (Durumi).

Why it was featured:

• The red-crowned crane symbolizes longevity, fidelity, and good fortune in Korean culture.

• It is often associated with elegance and peace, appearing in traditional paintings, folk tales, and royal imagery.

• It is also an endangered species, and featuring it on the currency helps raise awareness about its conservation.